Labour Day in Paraguay
Paraguay observes Labour Day, or Día de los Trabajadores, on May 1 as a national public holiday. The law keeps this date fixed each year, and workers who work on a holiday are entitled to extra pay under the Labour Code.[1][2]
A fixed national holiday
Paraguay’s Law No. 7544 lists May 1 as the Day of Workers among the country’s national holidays. The law identifies only four other holidays as movable; May 1 is not one of them, so the date remains May 1 rather than shifting to a nearby Monday.[1]
The Labour Code provides obligatory rest on holidays established by law. It applies to dependent intellectual, manual and technical workers and their employers, among other groups named in the Code. It also says that hours worked on a holiday must be paid with a 100% surcharge over the ordinary hourly rate for a working day.[2]
Origins in Paraguay
The holiday belongs to a wider May Day tradition linked to workers’ demands for an eight-hour working day. A Paraguayan consular account traces that international history to the 1886 workers’ strike and protest in Chicago.[3]
The same consular account describes an organized May Day observance in Paraguay on May 1, 1906, promoted by the country’s first organized workers’ federation and several trade groups. It connects the date locally with organized workers and their public claims, rather than with a distinct national historical event.[3]
What the day recognizes
Paraguay’s Centro Cultural de la República El Cabildo uses the occasion to recognize workers across fields including arts, crafts, agriculture, industry, education, health and public service. Its message frames work as part of the country’s cultural life and acknowledges workers’ contributions to society.[4]
Labour Day recognises workers and the history of labour organisation.[3][4]
Work and everyday plans
The legal status establishes a day of obligatory rest for covered workers, while the Labour Code’s holiday-pay rule applies when they work. The holiday law also preserves the work of public employees providing emergency medical care and other essential public services, so those services are not suspended by the holiday.[1][2]
Travelers and residents should check directly with individual banks, shops, schools and public transport providers for holiday schedules.
Frequently asked questions
When is Labour Day in Paraguay?
It is observed every year on May 1. The national holiday law does not classify it as movable, so the date is not shifted to a nearby Monday under that law.[1]
Is Labour Day a day off for workers?
Are emergency and essential public services available?
The holiday law says emergency medical services and other essential public services continue during holidays.[1]
Are shops, banks and public transport open?
Check opening hours and schedules with the specific shop, bank or transport operator before travelling.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Labour Day in Paraguay:
- Ley Nº 7544/2025 / QUE DETERMINA LOS FERIADOS NACIONALES DE LA REPÚBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, SE ESTABLECEN LOS FERIADOS MÓVILES Y SE FACULTA AL PODER EJECUTIVO A INSTITUIR OTROS FERIADOS EN SITUACIONES ESPECIALES.- Biblioteca y Archivo Central del Congreso de la Nación
- PODER LEGISLATIVO- Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social
- FELIZ DIA DEL TRABAJADOR- Consulado General de la República del Paraguay en Los Angeles, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
- Día del Trabajador- Centro Cultural de la República El Cabildo